Blade dispensing magazine



Ot. 13, 1953 N. TESTI 2,655,257

BLADE DIsPENsING MAGAZINE Filed OCT.. 17, 194'? 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 IIIIIIIIIIQ.

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Oct. 13, 1953 N`. TESTI v 2,65-5Q25`7 BLADE DISPENSIIQG MAGAZINE Filed Oct. 17, 1947 2 Sheets-Shet 2 (ggg.

Patented ct. 13, .1953

UNITED BLADE DISIEN SING MAGAZINE Nicholas Testi, Boston, Mass., assigner to The Gillette Company, a corporation of Delaware Application October 17, 1947, Serial No. 780,458

(Cl. 20G-16) 7 Claims.

This invention comprises an improved type of magazine for dispensing thin sharp blades such as razor blades. Magazines of this type provide generally for housing a stack of blades which may by simple operation be ejected singly as required by the user.

Since chance contact upon the fine cutting edge of a safety razor blade prior to use may easily damage its delicate structure, it is desirable for the manufacturer to provide for packaging of the blades so as to insure their protection prior to actual use. Therefore the employment of a magazine type container for blades is particularly desirable. Accordingly, a. general object of this invention is to provide a magazine dispenser which will protect the quality of the blade, will lend itself to inexpensive assembly in manufacture, will provide safety for the user, and will be attractive and convenient.

One of the obstacles to the design o-f such magazines has been the tendency of the blades to jam at the exit slot. The present invention comprises as one of its features a solution to this problem in the utilization of a delivery slot the width of which can efciently be controlled in manufacture by folding a sheet metal part of the magazine inwardly at one end :to form a slot of predetermined dimensions which serves as the blade-exit slot of the magazine. It will be understood that by folding an ear, for example, in-

wardly beneath the body of a cover of sheet metal and upon a shim of selected thickness, a slot of extreme accuracy in dimensions may be formed quickly and without expense. Thus, only one blade at a time may be admitted to the delivery slot, jamming is eliminated and the individual blades are accurately separated from the stack in the magazine.

At the same time as the blade is thrust through the slot by the motion of the users thumb applied -through a, window in the top of the magazine, the blade is guided by means of a narrow stud in the `bottom section of the magazine extending through the longitudinal slot in the blade. In this manner the fine cutting edges are protected from displacement against the sides of the container or the end s of the exit slot.

These and other features of the invention will be best understood and appreciated from the following description of a preferred embodiment thereof selected for purposes of illustration and shown in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a view in perspective on an enlarged scale of the loaded blade magazine;

Fig. 2 is a View in perspective from a different 2 angle on the same enlarged scale, showing a blade emerging from the delivery slot;

Fig. 3 is a View in longitudinal section on the lines 3 3 of Fig. 2, again illustrating the position of a blade as in Fig. 2; and

Fig. 4 is an exploded view of the magazine, showing in perspective the bottom section, a blade, the spring which maintains blades in position for ejection, and the top section.

The magazine base may be constructed of suitable plastic composition or of wood or sheet metal. Its structure, best shown in Fig. 4, is rectangular in outline, being curved upwardly at the ejection end toward the exit slot. Side walls II and I2 are shouldered to form channels receiving in iiush relation the edges of the cover section and tapered downwardly at the rear end symmetrically with the contour of the front end of the magazine. Optionally the side walls may be provided at their forward ends with corner posts I3 and I4 which reinforce and stifen the general structure of the magazine casing. The base member is provided with a shallow rectangular pad I5 located approximately midway between the center of the base and the rear edge. Longitudinally centered in the base a short distance behind the front end is the narrow blade-loeating stud I6, the top of which. is beveled slightly downward toward the rear.

The front end of the base is recessed across its entire front edge and the bottom of the recess is shaped to provide a depression I'I at either side of a slightly elevated central land I8. This land I8 forms with clearance the bottom of the blade exit slot as will be presently described. A notch I3 in the rear end of the base aords access to the rear end of the forked spring 2d which is inserted under the blades after the magazine has been loaded.

The magazine 'cover 2II best illustrated in the exploded View of Fig. 4, is constructed of sheet metal. Its side edges are machined to nt into the channels in the upper edges of base member side walls II and I2. Two ears 25 and 2S integral with the body of :the cover are folded inwardly adjacent to the main body of the cover so as to form narrow slots of a width to permit ejection of only one blade at a time. in practice these slots may be accurately formed by using shims of the desired thickness and folding the ears 25 and 26 tightly over the shims. For example shims .004 to .007 inch in thickness may be employed where the magazine is designed for blades of corresponding thickness. When the cover 2l is assembled with the bottom member 3 I0, :the ears 25 and 26 nt into the recesses I1 and the upper face of the land I8 lies slightly below the inner face of the folded ears. The cover is apertured midway of its rear portion to provide an oval thumb opening 23. In its forward portion, directly over the blade locating stud I6 of the base member II) is located a raised portion 24, forming a dome which provides clearance over said stud I6.

The magazine shown is designed to accommodate blades of a well-known commercial type, that is to say, thin flexible double-edged blades 30 as shown in Fig. 4, each having a longitudinal slot 3l, solid unsharpened end portions 32 and being provided with directional indicators shown in the form of an arrow 33.

The magazine may be assembled as. follows: A stack of iive or more blades is threaded upon locating stud I6 as shown in Fig. 3 and rests at its rear end on the flat pad I5. The cover 2I may then be tted into place (as illustrated in Fig. 2) with the folded ears 25 and 2E located in the depressions I'I in the front wall of base I0, and side edges fitted into the channels in the side walls II and I2. The cover may be retained in place by cement or by providing it and the base with interlocking tongues and slots, or in any other desired manner. The loaded magazine is. now inverted. The blades will now rest upon the inner surface of the cover 2l. It will be noted by reference to Fig. 3, however, that locating stud IE projecting into dome space will not allow the blades to slip out of relative alignment even when the magazine is inverted. Fig. 3 also shows a clearance space 28 between the rear lower edge of the cover 2l and the base Ill. Through this slot 28 is inserted the forked spring 28 (which may be seen best in exploded view Fig. 4) As the spring is moved into position in the magazine its two arms will slide past the pad I5 and the stud I8. To facilitate the insertion of the spring 20, the notch i9 in base i0 is. provided (Fig. 4), permitting the rear edge of spring 20 to be advanced by a blade or other pointed instrument until the arms of the spring 20 come to rest against the'beveled front edge of the base section Il). In this position the rear end of the blade stack rests upon the spring 2B, while the flat pad I5 is so located as to limit. depressing movement of the blade stack as shown in Fig. 3.

Fig. 3 illustrates the assembled magazines with a stack of ve blades threaded upon the locatingl stud I6, held by the spring 20 in a position of suspension, the upper blade 3l)` being pressed against the cover 2|. When the user inserts his thumb through the window 23 and depresses the rear portion of the blade stack against the pad I5, as shown, the tension of the spring 20 acts to hold the forward segment of the topmost blade 30 in flush relation with the inner surface of the cover 2|. Thus as the user by his thumb movement displaces blade 30 toward the exit slot formed in part by the ears 25 and 26 (see Fig. 2) the spring 20 insures that the leading edge of the blade 30 shall retain its snug conformation pressed against the cover 2I and thus find ready egress through the space between the top and the inner surfaces of the ears 25 and 25. This space, it has been noted, is adequate to accommodate only one blade at a time. As the blade 30 progresses through the exit slot., the locating stud I6 guides the blade by its slot 3 I, preventingl the blade from swerving in a transverse direction, with consequent contact between its ne Cil 4 cutting edge and the inner edge of the magazine or of the ears 25 and 26.

After the blade has advanced to a position shown in Fig. 2, it may conveniently be withdrawn by the user grasping the leading portion of the blade between the thumb and forenger of his other hand and pulling the blade the remainder of the way through the exit slot. During part of this motion, the blade is guided by the locating stud I6 and prevented from twisting. However, it is necessary to provide for the emergence of the solid rear portion of the blade behind the longitudinal guide slot. Beveling the inner edge of the locating stud I6 insures that the rear portion of the blade 30 will ride up on the stud IS. However, Fig. 3 illustrates how the upper edge of the stud I6 extends above the level of the inner surface of the cover 2| into the space of the dome 24. The central solid portion of the rear edge of the blade will pass across the space I4 so provided under the dome being flexed transversely in the process. It will be realized that as the central portion of the blade 30 crosses the stud I6, the side portions of the blade will be exed downwardly by Contact with portions of the top 2I which lie at either side of the dome 24. Thus a yielding resistance to blade movement is developed. This serves two purposes: First the blade Bil, which has passed beyond contact with the spring 20 is still prevented from slipping accidentally from the magazine by the resistance so developed. Second, the user naturally tends to overcome this iinal resistance by a sharp pull on the blade, snapping it directly out of the magazine before the blade has opportunity to twist. Thus damage to the blade at this stage of withdrawal is prevented.

Having thus disclosed my invention and described in detail an illustrative embodiment thereof, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

l. A magazine for dispensing blades less than .007 inch in thickness and comprising a substantially rectangular casing having a sheet metal cover with ears at one end folded transversely inwardly being located within the contour of the magazine and providing with the body of the cover spaced narrow transverse slots not over .007 inch in width, the said casing having recesses at one end to receive the said inwardly folded ears and provide clearance for a blade between them.V

2. A blade-dispensing magazine comprising an elongated casing having a sheet metal portion with integral ears atY one end which are folded transversely inwardly Within the contour of the casing and form with the body of the said portion a narrow U-shaped,v transversely disposed slot of accurate width at each side of the casing, and projecting blade-locating meansl located within the casing, one end of the casing having a transverse recess with a flat central land and a depression at each end to receive one of said inwardly folded ears.

3. A blade-dispensing magazine comprising a substantially rectangular shell having a sheet metal cover with opposite edge portions folded inwardly at one end and defining in part a blade outlet slot located wholly within the contour of the magazine and being of accurate predetermined width, an internal stud adjacent to said slot and spaced equally between the folded edge portions of the cover, a stack of slotted blades empaled upon said stud, said shell being recessed at its front edge adjacent said slot to receive said folded edge portions, and a spring tending to. hold the uppermost blade of the stack against said cover and in registration with the blade outlet slot formed thereby.

4. A blade-dispensing magazine including a base having side walls and a cover and containing a stack of thin blades, said magazine having an exit slot at one end, blade-locating means inside said magazine arranged to hold said blades with their cutting edges out of contact with the side walls of said base, the cover being provided with a linger opening directed towards said exit slot through which the users nger -may be inserted for feeding engagement with the end blade of said stack, said exit slot being deiined, at least in part, by a pair of inturned inwardly-extending ears each integral with the cover lying wholly within the control of the magazine, and spaced accurately from the body of the cover by an amount less than the combined thickness of two blades, thereby to assure the passage of only one blade at a time through said exit slot in response to the blade-advancing movement of the users finger, said base having spaced recesses adjacent said slot to receive said ears.

5. A blade dispensing magazine comprising walls forming a base and a rectangular enclosure having a blade-exit slot at one end, a cover overlying a stack of blades in said magazine and having a finger opening positioned rearwardly of the median transverse axis thereof and directed towards the exit slot end of the enclosure, means acting as a fulcrum for supporting the forward end of the blade stack, when pressure is applied on the stack at the finger opening, a blade guiding stud in the enclosure adjacent to the exit slot, opposite edge portions of the cover adjacent the slot end of the enclosure being folded inwardly within the contour of the magazine at equal distances from said stud thus determining accurately the width of both ends of the delivery slot and the length thereof, said enclosure being recessed at its front edge adjacent said delivery slot to receive said folded edges, and a ilat pad projecting from the bottom of the enclosure in position below said iinger opening to limit depressing movement of the blade stack when subjected to finger pressure.

6. A blade-dispensing magazine comprising a substantially rectangular enclosure having a cover and a base together forming a transverse delivery slot at one end, an elongated stud rising from the base of the enclosure adjacent to the delivery slot,

a stack of longitudinally slotted blades empaled thereon, opposite edge portions of the cover adjacent the slot end of the enclosure being folded inwardly within the contour of the magazine at equal distances from said stud thus determining accurately the width of both ends of the delivery slot and the length thereof, said base having spaced recesses adjacent said delivery slot to receive said folded edge portions, said cover having a convex area in which the upper edge of said stud is received with clearance for a blade while being withdrawn.

7. A blade-dispensing magazine including a base having side walls and a cover and containing a stack of thin blades, said magazine having an exit slot, one edge of which is formed by the cover of the magazine, blade-locating means inside said magazine shaped to hold the blades with their cutting edges out of contact with side walls of the magazine, the cover being provided with a finger opening directed towards said exit slot through which the users finger may be inserted for feeding engagement with the uppermost blade of the stack, said exit slot being accurately defined in width at least in part by an inwardly transversely-extending ear comprising an integral part of the cover, located opposite to the aforementioned edge of the exit slot formed by the cover and spaced therefrom by less than the combined thickness of two blades, said ear lying wholly within the contour of the magazine and assuring the passage of only one blade at a time through the exit slot in response to bladeadvancing pressure of the users iinger, said base being recessed adjacent said slot for receiving said ear.

NICHOLAS TESTI.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,029,490 Connors et al June 11, 1912 1,734,644 Ostrander et al Nov. 5, 1929 1,843,994 Testi Feb. 9, 1932 1,894,072 Todd ---i Jan. 10, 1933 1,909,919 Testi May 16, 1933 2,339,480 Hollis Jan. 18, 1944 2,359,807 Testi Oct. 10, 1944 2,363,908 Stampelman Nov. 28, 1944 2,431,523 Tuerff et al Nov. 25, 194'? 2,502,248 Colton et al -Man 28, 1950 

